Sponge pads are commonly used for cleaning and many other uses. Commercial sponges can be made natural sponge, which is extremely expensive, or of regenerated cellulose. Regenerated cellulose is made by dissolving relatively pure natural cellulose in a chemical solvent, followed by precipitation of the cellulose in the presence of solid particles which can be later dissolved to provide void space. Though less expensive than natural sponge, regenerated cellulose is still much more costly than cellulose materials from which it is derived, making them unsuitable for some applications where a disposable or single-use product may be desired. Further, the physical properties of a regenerated cellulose sponge are limited by the regeneration process, which imposes many restraints on what can be achieved in terms of pore structure and other physical attributes. What is needed is a way to produce a sponge-like material without the need to regenerate cellulose.